Wet pulp-machine



H. A. CONSTANTINE.

WET PULP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20 1917.

Patented June 22, 1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

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P .27 9 44 5 Jfl/Ja .31 3.2 I 41 H. A. CONSTANTINE.

WET PULP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, 1917.

. Patented June 22, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 2.

W Snvmdoz v @51 a ttozwu H. A. CONSTANTINE.

WET PULP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20. 1917.

1,344,024. Patented June 22,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHhET 3.

. M .attouwqm H. A. CONSTANTINE.

WET PULP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, L917- 1,344,024. Patented June 22,1920.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4.

H. A. CONSTANIINE.

WET PULP MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 20, I917.

1,344,024. I Patented June 22, 1920.

5 SHEETSSHEET 5.

I I I l l I I I l UNITED STATES PATENT orrics.

HENRY A. OONSTANTINE, or NIAGARA FALLS, NEW YORK.

WET PULP-MACHINE.

Application filed June 20,

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY A. CONSTAN- TINE, residing at Niagara Falls, in the county of Niagara and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in et Pulp-Machines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in wet pulpmachines, and one of the ob ects of the invention is to provide a simple and practical machine of the above character.

Another object of the invention is to provide new and improved means for stripping the pulp from the press rolls of wet pulp machines.

A further object of the invention is to provide means adapted automatically to strip pulp from the press rolls of pulp machines such that'existing machines of various types may be equipped therewith.

The present invention contemplates certain improvements over the apparatus disclosed, described and claimed in my pending application Serial No. 114,955, filed Aug. 15, 1916.

Other objects and aims of the invention, more or less specific than those referred to above, will be in part obvious and in part pointed out in the course of the following description of the elements, combinations, arrangements of parts and applications of principles, constituting the inventlon and the scope of protection contemplated will be indicated in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings which are to be taken as a part of this specification, and in which I have shown merely preferred forms of embodiments of the invention:

Figure J. is a front elevational view of a iachiue constructed in accordance with the present invention. I

Fig. 2 is a similar view showing the parts in the positions they occupy at the time a cylinder of pulp is being stripped from the press roll. l

Fig. 3 is a viewin end elevation with parts of the frame of the machine removed, better to disclose certain of the operative parts of the mechanism.

Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a part of the operating means.

Fig. 5 is an elevational view on an enlarged scale, showing the mechanism located at one end of the machine.

Fig. 6 is a View in end elevation, partly in Specification of Letters Patent. P t t d J -2 2 1920 1917. Serial No. 175,729.

section, showing a slightly different embodiment of my invention. Fig. 7 is a View similar to Fig. 6, showing the parts in a different position. 7

Fig. 8 is an elevational view of still another embodiment of my invention.

i Fig. 9 is an end elevational view of the mechanism shown in Fig. 8; and

F ig. 10is a view'in elevation of a slightly modified form of cam construction adapted to be used in the embodiment of the invention disclosed in Figs. 8 and 9. i

Referring now to the drawings, wherein similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views thereof, the reference numeral 1 indicates the frame of the machine which is mounted upon the standards 2. 3 denotes the upper press roll which cooperates with the press roll 4 to compress the pulp and squeeze a portion of the water therefrom, said pulp upon its dclivery to the rolls being deposited inthin sheets in superimposed relation upon'the press roll 3. The press rolls 3 and 4: are carried upon shafts 5 and 6 respectively, journaled in suitable bearings formed in. the. frame of the machine. -T he roll 7 is carried upon the shaft 8, the latter being also journaled in the frame of the machine. This latter roll is adapted to carry one portion of an endless band of felt, or similar material, which carries the pulp between the press rolls-and upon which the sheets of pulp are discharged when they are stripped from the press roll 3, as'will be hereinafter more fully pointed out.

The machine is driven by means of the pulley 9 mounted upon the shaft of the press roll 3, and through suitable mechanism, not shown, connected with the gear 10, the press roll 4 is driven, rolls 3 and 41-, it will be understood moving in opposite directions, press the pulp between them and squeeze a portion of the water therefrom, the pulp being collected in successive layers upon the press roll 3. Adjustable s iiring actuated mechanism indicated generally at 11 is employed for pressing the rolls 3 and 4 together, it being understood that this mechanism may be adjusted to vary the degree of pressure existing between the rolls. The above described mechanism formsno part of my invention. but is illustrative of a well known form of wet pulp machine.

Referring now to the mechanism constituting my invention, plate 12 is fastened as by means of the clamp bolts 13 to the flange 14, which is bolted to the end of the press roll 3. This plate is provided with a depending extension or arm 15, the lower end of which is provided with an integrally formed collar 16, the aperture 17 of which forms a bearing for a circular stud 18 provided upon a lever 19. The lever 19 is provided with a forwardly extending arm 20 which is apertured to receive the threaded stem 21 of a yoke member 22. Threaded on the outer end of the stem 21 is a nut by means of which said stem may be adjusted in a longitudinal direction, 24, indicating a lock nut threaded on the bolt inside the arm 20, the function of which is to lock the threaded stem 21 in any adjusted position. Extending through apertures provided in the arms of the yoke 22 is a pin 25, to which one end of the wire 26 is attached. The disposition of the lever 19 with respect to the periphery of the roll 3 is such that when the parts are in normal positions the wire 26, which extends longitudinally of the roll 3, parallel with its axis, lies in contact with the surface of the roll. The parts "are held in this position in the present instance by means of a coil spring 27, one end of which is fastened to a ring 28, positioned extcriorly of the collar 16, and the other end of which is fastened to a collar 29 fastened to the stud 18 of the lever 19. The tendency of spring 27 is to urge the lever 19 to swing in a rearward direction, thus holding the wire 26 in engagement with the surface of the press roll 3.

ire 26 is preferably a fine strong wire made of tough material, a wire such as is commercially known as piano wire being suitable for use in this connection. It will be understood from an inspection of Figs. 1 and 2 of the drawings, that mechanism such as above described is located at each end of the press roll 3, and that the wire 26 is ex tended between these two sets of mechanisms.

In the drawings the wire 26 is shown as extending in a straight line lengthwise of the press roll It is not intended, however, that this wire shall be very taut. It is simply given such a degree of tautness as may be necessary to prevent the wire from saggingor moving out of position on the roll before a su'Hicient quantity of the wet pulp has been deposited thereon to hold the wire in fixed position. The object of providing a relatively slack wire is to insure when the arms 20 are moved outwardly by mechanism presently to be described, causing a corresponding outward movement of the wire 26, said wire will have a shearing effect on the pulp which it is designed to cut, that is, it will begin to cut the accumulated cylindrically formed shell pulp at its outside edges, working inwardly toward the center, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

Having now described the mechanism employed in this embodiment of the invention for stripping the accumulated pulp from the press roll 3, the manner in which the same is automatically operated may now be understood.

The lever 19 has a depending arm 30, which at a predetermined time during the operation of the machine is adapted to be engaged by the end 31 of a plate mounted to slide in a suitable guide 33 bolted as by means of the bolt 34 to a portion of the frame of the machine. Bolt 34 extends through a bracket 36, which carries the guide member 33, said bracket having a ver tical slot 37, which provides for a vertical adjustment of the parts carried by this bracket. Mounted in suitable hearings in brackets 38 and 39, carried upon the guide member 33, is a shaft 40. Shaft 40 carries a member 41, provided with a cam groove 42, and received in this cam groove is a roller 43 carried by a stud 43, carried upon the plate 32. Fixedly mounted upon the shaft 40 is a ratchet wheel 44, the teeth 45 of which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 46 pivoted at 47 upon the lever arm 48, and spring pressed into engagement with said ratchet wheel as by means of the spring 49. Lever arm 48 is pivoted at 50 upon an arm 51 provided upon the bracket 36, and is normally held in the position shown in the drawings by means of the coil spring 52.

Mounted upon a collar 53 fixed upon the shaft 5 of the press roll 3 is an arm 55, which can be adjusted a greater or less distance from the surface of the collar, as by means of a nut 56 in which said arm is mounted. Arm 55, of course, partakes of the rotative movement of the shaft 5 and as will be seen by reference to Figs. 3, 4 and 5 of the drawings, the lever arm 48 lies in the path. of arm 55, so that upon each rotation of the shaft said. arm will engage with the lever arm 48 and swing the same downwardly from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 4, whereby the pawl 46 will rotate the ratchet wheel 44 through a distance of one tooth, and inasmuch as the cam member 41 is mounted upon the shaft 40 which carries the ratchet wheel 44, said cam member will be compelled to rotate a corresponding angular distance.

The cam groove 42 in the cam member 41 is straight through its entire circumference, except for the cam portion 57 which is of an extent equal to the distance between the working faces of three neighboring teeth on the ratchet wheel 44, that is. it is equal to the distance between the working faces of teeth marked a and b of this ratchet wheel.

Mechanism such as above described it will be understood is located upon each side of the machine, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings, the cam portions 57 of the cam wheel 44 being extended in opposite directions. It will accordingly be seen that upon each rotation ofthe press roll 3 the cam wheels 11 upon each side of the machine will be rotated toa distance equal to one tooth of the ratchet wheel l l, and that when the cam portions 57 of said cam members are carried into engagement with the studs 13, the plates 32 will be moved inwardly, the mechanism being so adjusted, or timed, that when this operation takes place the arms 30 of the levers 19 will have been carried adjacentthe ends 31 of the plates 32, so that during the continuance otthe rotation of the press roll 3 the movement of said arms 30 will be intercepted by the ends of the plates 31, whereby the levers 19 will be swung upon their pivotal supports, causing the arms 20 thereof to be swung outwardly, and the wire 26 carried between said arms 20, to shear the layer ofpulp upon the press roll 3, in the manner indicated in Fig. 2 of the drawings.

During the continued rotation of the press roll 3, the arms 30 of the levers 19 will slip over the upper surlfaces of the ends 31 of the plates 32, whereby the spring 27 will return the lever arms 19 and their associated mechanism to their original positions, and the wire 26 will again be carried into contactv with the press roll 3, so that another layer of pulp can be positioned there over.

Upon the next revolutionof the press roll 3, the ratchet wheel 414 will be moved to a distance of one tooth, causing the cams 57 to return the plates 32 to their original'positions out of the paths of the arms 30, so that said arms will clear the ends 31 of said plates upon the next revolution.

Thus it will be seen that upon'each complete revolution of the ratchet wheel 14:, the wire 26 will be thrown outwardly, whereby it will shear off the accumulated layer of pulp, andthat the thickness of the layer of pulp to be sheared from the press roll can be varied by decreasing or diminishing tl e number of teeth on the ratchet wheel 4A.

T he layer o'l pulp which is sheared from the niachinwhen released from between the press rolls falls to' the floor in front of the machine, as clearly shown in Fig. 2 of the drawings. It will be further understood that the mechanism at each end ofthe machi no, while independent, is adjusted to work in perfect unison, so that each end of the wire 26 is thrown out and returned at the same instant. v 7

Referring now 'to' the embodiment of my invention illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 of the, drawings, the mechanism'is similar to that which has already been described, except that afixed cam member 58 isbolt-ed on to the housingof the press roll 3, said cam member having a cutaway portion 59. The lever 19 is provided with a tail piece 60, which during the rotation of the press roll rides upon the exterior surface of the fixed cam member 58. V hen, however, the ratchet wheel 14 has been rotated to a point where the plates 32 are ready to be thrown inwardly to intercept the arm 30, the tail piece 60 will be opposite the cutaway or cam portion 59 of the member 58, whereby said tail piece 60 will enter said cutaway portion, thus permitting the arm 19 to swing outwardly.

Upon the further rotation of the press roll these cam portions 59 of themember 58 will positively compel a returnof the levers 19 to their normal positions, irrespectiveof the operations of the springs of the member 27. This last described mechanism is useful in that it compels a return of the levers 19 and thereby of the wire 26 to the normal positions occupied by these parts in the event that the mechanism-at one end of the machine gets a step either ahead or behind the corresponding mechanism on the other end of the machine, thereby insuring that the wire 26-will never be carried between the press rolls unless it is lying flat against the press roll 3, irrespective of the fact that one side of the machinemay be temporarily working ahead of the other, due to a derangement of the parts. I

Referring to the embodiment of my invention shown in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, this mechanism is quite similar to the mechanism described and claimed in my copending application Serial Number 114:,995, filed August 15, 1916. In this construction, however, a guide member 61 is mounted upon the bracket 62 bolted to the frame of i the machine, and a plate 63 slides in the guide and its end 64 is adapted to engage the depending arm 30 of the lever 19., asin the first described embodiment. Bolted to the housing of the bearings of the shaft 5 of the press roll 3, and encircling said shaft, is abracket 65, which has a depending arm. 6 provided with the circular stud G7, which forms abearing for the cam wheels 68. This cam wheel is provided with a cam portion 69. Plate 63 is provided with a cam roller 70, which is held in engagement with the outer surface of the cam wheel 68 by means of a spring 71, which is extended between a member 72 fixed on theplate 63 and a similar member 73 fixed on the guide 61. The cam wheel 68 is provided with a plu rality of spaced pins 7 4 which correspond in function withthe ratchet teeth 45 of the first described embodiment. These pinsare adapted to be engaged by an arm 75 carriedupon the collar 53 fixed upon the arm of the press roll 3, so that during the operation of the machine the cam wheel 68 will be retated through a space of one tooth upon the completion of each rotative movement of the press roll, so that during the continued operation of the machine the cam wheel 68 will be rotated to such position that the cam portion 69 thereof will be carried to a point opposite the cam roll 70, whereby the springs '71 will be permitted to move the plate 63 forwardly, carrying the end 64: thereof into the path of the arm 30, whereby the wire 26 will be thrown outwardly to shear the pulp, in a manner which has already been described.

It will be noted that in the embodiment of my invention disclosed in my aforesaid pending application, the cam wheel 68 is located inside of the end bearing of the press roll, and that a rod or bar is extended underneath the said press roll from one end of the machine to the other. Owing to the con struction of some of the existing machines, my former construction is not available. I, therefore, prefer to mount the mechanism as indicated in Figs. 8 and 9 of the drawings, so that the cam wheel will be outside of the frame of the machine. This permits a ready substitution of cam wheels of different diameters, and containing different numbers of pins, and permits the installation of my mechanism on existing pulp machines of practically every type.

Another advantage of my present construction over that of my former is that in this construction the cam wheel is mounted upon the housing of the press roll shaft, whereas in the former construction it is mounted upon the frame. The advantage of this construction is apparent because of the fact that during the operation of the machine the accumulation of the pulp between the opposed rolls causes them to separate to a slight extent. This separation of the press rolls might in certain cases cause the pin 75 to skip one of the teeth if the cam wheel were not carried upon the support of the press roll, which is caused to move from its opposed roll. In the present embodiment of my invention the cam wheel (58 moves with the press roll 3 and separation of the parts is taken care of by the length of the cam roller 70, so that the operation is sure and certain, irrespective of the fact that the press rolls move toward and from each other.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Fig. 10, the cam roll 68 is constructed to move the plate 63 positively in opposite directions, permitting the omission of the spring 71.

It will accordingly be seen that I have provided mechanism well adapted to attain, among others, all the aims and objects of mfly invention in an exceedingly simple and e icient manner.

By means of the constructions shown herein, I am able to equip any form of existing pulp machines With this construction, wherein machines as formerly constructed and now in operation, wherein constant attention of operators is required to remove the successive layers of pulp, will operate automatically, thereby saving a vast amount of labor which heretofore has been required to be employed in attending to the aforesaid operation. In machines where the present invention is installed a single operator can attend to a number of machines, whereas in former constructions each machine required almost constant attention.

As many changes could be made in this construction without departing from the scope of the following claims, it is intended that all matter contained in the above description or shown in the accompanying drawing shall be interpreted as illustrative only and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a roll adapted to receive a layer of pulp thereon, a flexible member extending lengthwise of the roll underneath said layer of pulp, and independent means upon each end of the machine adjacent said roll adapted to support and Operate said flexible cutting member.

2. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a roll upon which is formed a layer of pulp, a flexible cutting member extending lengthwise of said roll underneath said layer of pulp, a lever at each end of said roll having an arm adapted to support said flexible cutting. member adjacent the surface of said roll, and independent mechanically timed means at each end of the roll adapted to operate said levers, whereby the arms thereof will be swung outward from the roll.

3. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press rollupon which a quantity of pulp is adapted. to be accumulated, a flexible shearing member adapted to lie in contact with said roll over which said plup is adapted to be accumulated, and. in dependently operated mechanically timed means located at each end of the roll and interposed in the support of said flexible shearing member adapted at pie-determined intervals to move the same outwardly, whereby the same will shear said pulp.

1. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll upon which is adapted to be formed a cylindrical layer of pulp, a flexible shearing member adapted to lie in contact with said roll beneath said layer of pulp, and independent means at each end of the roll for supporting said flexible shearing member, and adapted at the end of a pro-determined number of revolutions of said roll to operate said last named means, whereby said shearingmember will be caused to shear saidlayer of pulp.

5. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll upon which the pulp is accumulated in cylindrically formed layers, a flexible shearing member extending lengthwise of the roll beneath said layers of pulp, a lever pivotally mounted upon each end of the press rolladapted to support said shearing member, and means car ried by the frame of the machine at each end thereof, adapted at the end of a predetermined number, of revolutions of said press roll to operate said lever, whereby the latter will move said shearing member and cause it to shear said pulp.

6. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll upon which the pulp is accumulated in cylindrically formed layers, a flexible shearing member extending lengthwise of the roll beneath said layers of pulp, a lever pivotally mounted upon each end of the press roll adapted to support said shearing member, means carried by the frame of the machine at each end thereof, adapted at the end of a pre-determined number of revolutions of said press roll to operate said lever, whereby the latter will move said shearing member and cause it to shear said pulp, and spring means for returning said levers to normal positions.

7. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll provided with a pulp shearing device comprising a flexible member extending lengthwise of said press roll between the same and a layer of pulp thereon, and independently controlled cam operated mechanism located at each. end of the roll and interposed in the support of said shearing member, and adapted to operate the same at the end of a predetermined number of revolutions of said press roll, whereby said shearing member will shear said pulp.

8. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll provided with a pulp shearing device, comprising a flexible member extending lengthwise of the press roll between the same and a layer of pulp thereon, a lever pivotally mounted. upon said press roll at each end thereof, said levers having arms between which said flexible shearing device is extended, and independently controlled means mounted upon each end of the machine adapted simultaneously to operate said levers, whereby said shearing device is moved outwardly with respect to the press roll and caused to shear the pulp thereon.

9. In a machine of the class described, in

combination, a press roll provided with a pulp shearing device, comprising a flexible membcr'extending lengthwise of said. press roll between the same and a layer of pulp thereon, levers pivotally mounted upon the press roll at each end thereof, said levers having arms between which said flexible shearing device is extended, spring means acting through said lever for maintaining said shearing device normally in engagement with the press roll, and independently controlled cam operated mechanism located at each end of said roll adapted at a predetermined. time during the rotation of the press roll simultaneously to operate said levers whereby said shearing device is causedto shear the pulp which has been accumulated upon the press roll.

10. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll adapted to accumulate layers of pulp thereon, a pulp shearing device comprising a flexible wire extending lengthwise of the press roll between the same and the layer of pulp, a pivotally mounted means carried upon the press roll at each end thereof between which said wire isextended, and independent stepby-step cam controlled means carried by the frame of the machine at each end thereof adapted upon the end of a .pre-determined number of revolutions of the press roll simultaneously to actuate the means carrying said wire, whereby the latter is adapted to move outwardly from said press roll and caused to shear the pulp thereon.

11. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll adapted to accumulate a quantity of pulp thereon, a pulp shearing member comprising a flexible wire extended lengthwise of the press roll and normally lying in contact therewith and between the same and the layer of pulp thereon, a lever pivotally mounted on the press roll at each end thereof, said levers having arms between which said wire is extended, spring means operating through said levers adapted to maintain said wire in engagement with said roll, and independent means located at each. end of the machine normally lying out of the paths traversed by said levers during the rotation of the press roll adapted at a predetermined time to be interposed in the paths of portions of said levers, whereby the latter are caused to swing on their pivots and caused to carry the pulp shearing member from the press roll, whereby the latter will shear the pulp.

12. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll provided with a pulp shearing device, comprising a flexible wire extending lengthwise of said press roll between the same and the layer of pulp thereon, a lever pivotally mounted at each 7 end of the press roll, having a part interposed in the support of said pulp shearing member adapted to maintain the same in a relatively taut condition lengthwise of the press roll and in engagement therewith, said lever being provided with extensions, means adapted to engage the extensions of said lever during the rotation of the press roll, whereby they are swung on their pivots and move said pulp shearing member outward with respect to said roll, and int ependent cam controlled means adapted at the end of a pre-determined number of revolutions of the press roll to be interposed in the paths of the extensions of said levers, whereby the latter are swung upon their pivotal supports and caused to perform the aforementioned functions.

' 13. In a machine of the class described, in combination, a press roll upon which pulp is accumulated in eylindrically formed layers, a flexible wire for shearing said pulp normally lying in engagement with said press roll and between the same and the layer of pulp thereon, movable means mounted upon the press roll at each end thereof between which said wire is extended, and independent means carried by a fixed portion of the frame of the machine at each end thereof, adapted to be moved into the path of a portion of said movable means during the rotation of the press roll, whereby the continued rotation of the latter will move said movable means and the wire carried thereby, a cam for operating each of said last named means, pawl and ratchet mechanisms for operating said cam, and means carried by the shaft of the press roll for operating said pawl and ratchet mechanisms.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

I HENRY A. CONSTANTINE.

lVitnesses ELEANOR CONSTANTINE, WVALTER P. LEE. 

